Umbre
by Haley Earthstone
Summary: Takes place with the world of Pokemon: Darkness and Dreams by BatmanRules256. It isn't easy being different. It becomes harder when those around you never let you forget it, and even punish you for it. Umbre Dharc will learn, though, that maybe it can be the source of a strength she has yet to discover. Rated T.
1. Part 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Pokémon. This story is based with the gijinka AU created by **BatmanRules256** with his permission. **Pokemon: Darkness and Dreams** is a good story, and I recommend it.

Pokémon: Darkness and Dreams: Umbre Part 1

She had always been a weird and strange child. Even her parents would admit it. But unlike everyone else in the mostly Psychic type village, Umbre Dharc's parents saw it as something else to love about their daughter. Her shyness made it hard for her to befriend others, and unfortunately made her an easy target for bullies. While nothing overt was actually done, kids are surprisingly clever in finding ways to put down those who are different. This led to Umbre finding solace in book and scrolls (rare as the latter were), which actually gave her tormentors more to use against her. Try as they might, her parents weren't too successful in convincing the parents of the children to cease their bullying; the kids just got more clever. All except for a Kossumoggu girl. Though younger than the Eevee girl, she felt drawn to the socially anxious child. At first, the raven-haired girl would flee at every attempted interaction. Then Kossumoggu took to teleporting next to the oddly-colored Eevee, making her freak out so extremely that she would literally jump straight into the air. And even though this made her a target for bullying, too, she persisted. And a month later, Umbre got her first (and only) friend.

Glacen Whiteout, Umbre's father, was a Glaceon with great skill as a battler. He retired when he learned his wife was expecting, and took to safeguarding the village they chose to settle. Not so coincidentally, it was located near a forest shrouded in rumors and myths about ancient dangers and beasts. It was also the location of a hidden and ancient library that was established generations ago. While many others could have been chosen to be its caretaker, the leader of the first legendary council chose a bloodline from the Eevee named Dharc. Umbre's mother, an Espeon named Espa, was it's current caretaker. Her daughter's thirst for knowledge, while arising from a negative cause, thrilled her and she began subtly preparing her for assuming the role when it was time. Naturally, Umbre dragged her best and only friend along with her, something Kossumoggu didn't mind at all.

Then came the day Umbre evolved. It was her eighth birthday, and it had been her happiest one ever, since Kossumoggu was there with her. While she didn't have a lot of gifts, what she did get was gotten from the heart. She felt so happy and loved, that while it was dusk her Eeveelution triggered and she became an Umbreon. But she wasn't a typical Umbreon; she was a Shiny Umbreon. Fairly rare, and now a Dark type, Umbre found herself ostracized even more.

That's when she made her second friend.

Umbre

"Umbi!" came a happy voice from beside her. As was normal for her, Umbre let out a short shriek as she, exactly like an anime character, shot up into the air a few feet before landing back on her bottom and tumbling off the rock she'd been reading on.

"Ow," she deadpanned, blinking her eyes as she looked up at her best friend. Kossumoggu looked down at her with a happy grin on her face; it was obvious she was excited about something

"Kossu, why do you always teleport right next to me?" the young Umbreon asked. "Just because you learned it early doesn't mean you have to use it all the time." Umbre was unusually concise and knowledgeable for a nine year old, more than likely due to the books she was always reading.

"But it's fun!" the younger girl replied, giggling a bit. Then she added, "Why do you talk like a big book all the time?" The Umbreon sighed and closed her book before standing up and brushing off her black tunic-like hoodie. It was actually more like a long sleeved dress that ended at mid-thigh, with blue circles on the sleeves up near the shoulders; however, it was also like a hoodie since it did have a hood and drawstrings (there were also holes cut into the top of the hood to provide a space for her Poké ears to stick out of (the back of the dress/tunic/hoodie also had a space for her Poké tail, and both her ears and tail had blue rings around them a few inches from the ends). She wore a pair of boots that ended above her knees, with blue ovals right over her knees (for fun, she had added a small belt near the top of her right boot).

"I like to read," Umbre replied.

"I do, too!" Kossu pouted.

"'See Growlithe Run' doesn't count," her friend teased.

"You're mean!" she whined, an adorable pout on her face. This caused Umbre to actually giggle, which was a fairly uncommon occurrence with the bookish Umbreon. "Oh!" Kossumoggu exclaimed as she remembered why she'd gone to her best friend. "My mom wants to meet you!"

"Your mom?" Umbre asked, confused.

"Yeah!" Kossu said, smiling hugely. "She wants to see who my best friend is!"

"I'm your best friend?" the raven-haired girl blurted out, caught by surprise. She had seen her friend hanging out with the other kids in the Alolan village, seen her playing with them, and of course knew she also hung around with her. A lot. But the Umbreon had no idea the other girl regarded her so much.

"Well, yeah," Kossu replied. "You're way more awesomer than all everyone else! Um, except for my mom, of course."

"I-" Umbre started to say, but found she couldn't get any more words out; for some reason, it felt like her throat was constricted. Instead, she pulled _her_ best friend into a tight hug, a really big expression for the socially anxious child.

 _At Kossumoggu's House_

"Here she is, mom!" Kossu shouted as she quite literally dragged Umbre into her house.

"Nebula Borealis Kossumoggu," came a warm yet stern voice, "what have I told you about shouting while the twins are napping?"

"Sorry, mom," Kossu said apologetically. Umbre looked over to wear the voice came from, and saw an elegant and beautiful woman standing there. Even at this young an age, she could tell that this woman exuded power and authority. If it weren't for the warmth and friendliness she was sincerely displaying, Umbre would've fled the house right then and there.

"And you must be the young girl that my daughter is always going on about," she went on, in the same gentle voice Umbre's own mom often had. The young Umbreon nodded shyly, her gaze going to her booted feet. She felt a hand on her chin, and shortly found herself looking into a pair of ruby eyes. Kossu's mom wore a long, sleeveless, twilight colored dress that flowed around her and stopped at her ankles. She wore gold colored heels that were about two inches. A twilight colored cape went down from her shoulders, the edges lined in silver. A white collar went around her neck, part of her dress. Her eyeteeth poked slightly out of her lower mouth, giving her a slightly more exotic look. Her hair was put up like a sideways crescent moon. The outside was gold, twilight color inside of that, which bled into white as it got closer to her head. Her bangs, however, were the color of twilight, covering her eyes partially. "Don't be afraid, little Umbre," she added with smile. "I may be a lot of things, but I do not harm family."

"F-Family?" Umbre's stuttered out.

"Of course! You're my daughter's best friend, which practically makes you family." That was said with a wink the little Umbreon didn't understand.

"Everyone makes fun of her and is mean to her, mom," Kossumoggu put in, upset on her best friend's behalf, "so she has no other friends."

"Well, now she has one more," her mom replied, smiling at the older child. "I'm Lunala Nebula D." Umbre couldn't believe it. All her life, everyone but her parents and Kossu had treated her like she was weird or unnatural; and that was before her very early evolution. Again, in a move that was atypical of her, she went and hugged Kossu's mom, who returned it. Lunala also sensed the lack of harmony with the little Umbreon, how the child's soul and body weren't in unity.

"Kossumoggu, could you check on your sisters for a minute?" Lunala asked.

"Okay, mom!" she replied happily, then skipped off to do it. Once she was out of earshot, Lunala looked at Umbre.

"You aren't in harmony with yourself," she stated. Umbre looked down, feeling tears prickle at the corners of her eyes.

"I know," she whispered. "I don't know what to do. No one does."

"Such power is beyond even the most powerful of Legendaries," Lunala said, hugging the girl comfortingly. "But that doesn't mean it is impossible."

"What do you mean?" Umbre asked, pulling back a bit to look up at her.

"I have actually helped your mother gather books and scrolls for that library of she maintains for those worthy of its secrets," the woman explained. "It's knowledge is vast and unparalleled. Perhaps, in its chambers, lies the secret to your own personal harmony."

Umbre

 _Three Years Later_

Umbre was now twelve years old, and had become quite the intelligent child. She was still shy, and still dealt with social anxiety, but hadn't let that stop her from her goals. Just as she stopped letting the people in the village bother her with their words and actions. Shortly after she had become friends with Lunala, her father had started teaching her how to battle. She actually wasn't bad at it, and could be considered a decent fighter, but it was obvious her true calling was to follow in her mother's footsteps. Espa had introduced her daughter to the legacy she was set to inherit, a legacy she had inherited from her own mother by order of Arcen, the leader of the Legendary Council. Around that same time, though, Arden's daughter Arceus was 'asking' to be allowed access to the library. Espa, though not anywhere near being a legendary in power or skill, nevertheless actually had – due to the powers used in its creation – the power to refuse or allow access to the library of anyone. Being an Espeon, her psychic abilities did not give her a positive impression of the other woman, and so she refused her entrance. Arceus gracefully accepted the refusal, but never stopped asking.

Today had started off as each day had been for the last several months, with Arceus showing up during breakfast (and however unintentionally frightening Umbre off) to 'ask' to get into the library, only to be once again refused. But something felt off about this day, even after the legendary had left. Both Espa and Glacen felt it, and so suggested to their daughter that she hang out with Kossu today. Umbre was hoping for a trip to the library, but didn't argue with her mom. She was hoping to be able to research something, learn about an ability she was suspecting she had: Synchronize. She wasn't entirely sure about it, but knew she would always be able to look another time. She did like being around Kossumoggu, though she couldn't really say why. Her parents could see it, of course, but didn't say anything.

"Umbi!" Kossu shouted as she teleported right next to her best friend. Umbre's parents, and probably the village an hour's walk away, easily heard the twelve year old's shriek of surprise. Espa chuckled as she looked over at her husband and said, "I can never tell who's more eager to be around whom with those two."

"Do you think they'll realize what's going on there?" Glacen asked, sharing in his wife's mirth.

"Before or after Umbre looks it up in the library?" was her laughed response. Just then, Lunala walked in, her twin daughters with her.

"I see Kossu beat me here," she said, a small smile on her face. The smile faded, though, as she sensed the tension and uneasiness in the air. "Kuri, Tina, why don't you two go see what Umbre and your sister are doing? Just remember not to be too excited around Umbre, okay?"

"Okay, mommy!" the two girls said in unison before dashing off to the older girl's room. Lunala then looked at Espa and Glacen. The Glaceon, though, left the room but not before saying, "This is outside my experience."

"Lunala," the Espeon began, "I'm worried." The older woman didn't need to ask why. She had become very good friends with not only Umbre but her parents, too. Which meant that Espa knew what she was up to, and had done before.

"I know," she said softly.

"It's going to come back on you, legendary or not," Espa told her.

"Will you stop me?" she was asked.

"As long as your my daughter's friend, you'll always be allowed in the library. You know even at your weakest I can't defeat you."

"It won't ever come to that, Espa."

"Just . . . . just promise me that if anything happens to Glacen and I, you'll take care of Umbre," Espa asked.

"You have my word," Lunala promised. "Would you and Glacen mind taking the twins for a few hours? I want to take Umbre and Kossu shopping for presents."

"Their birthday is tomorrow, isn't it?" The Espeon smiled. "And you'd like me to make the cake?"

"You do have a unique recipe for Oran Berry Cake," Lunala admitted.

Umbre

No one really knew what happened that day. A massive upsurge of Dark type energy was sensed, although it didn't last long. Lunala had felt how familiar it was, and felt her blood run cold. Trusting Umbre and Kossu to look at for each other, and teleported to the source of the disturbance – and found blackened ruins where Umbre's house had stood. Before she could panic or despair, she sensed both of her daughters' presence. Kuri was in the epicenter of the destruction, while Tina was curled up in a ball nearby. But she couldn't find Espa and Glacen, and an empty feeling settled within the pit of her stomach. She could also sense a Psychic residue in the area, one that felt like Espa's.

"Oh, Espa," she breathed quietly, gathering her unconscious daughters up before teleporting away.

A funeral was held the next day, but only Lunala, her daughters, and Umbre attended. She refused to allow anyone from the village to come, even though her parents had been well liked by everyone else; they hadn't liked her much at all so she didn't want them there. No one objected, though, since Lunala supported her decision and had the power to back up the orphaned girl's desire. Of course, that didn't stop Arceus from showing up. Nobody had a chance to say anything before Umbre shrieked at the sight of her, and vanished; her Synchronize ability had kicked in and she had utilized Kossu's Teleport move.

"You aren't welcome here, Arceus," Lunala said coldly.

"I would be careful, Lunala," the daughter of Arden said. "You aren't as circumspect as you think you are, and . . . . well, things can happen. Just like with Espa and Glacen."

"What do you know, Arceus?"

"Nothing that visiting that library wouldn't help."

"Espa has kept you out of there for a reason," Lunala replied, "and since Umbre is blatantly terrified of you for reasons I don't know, I sincerely doubt you'll ever get in there."

"Don't be so certain of that," Arceus said with a smirk. "I always get what I want. One way or another." With that, the woman teleported away.

"Hey, mom?" Kossumoggu asked.

"Go to Umbre, sweetie," Lunala said. "She'll need you right now. The twins and I will be fine. The two of you come back when she's ready, okay?"

"Okay, mom," Kossu said, hugging her mom before teleporting to the library.

Umbre

What no one knew is that a lot of things would change now. It was a few hours before Kusso barely managed to convince Umbre to leave for a bit. They teleported to the younger girl's home, only to find no one there. Not even the twins. Afraid now, and having no idea about what was going on, they returned to the library. As it was located in a temporally different dimensional pocket, time in there passed differently than it did outside. Umbre would rarely leave it, relying on her best friend for anything they needed from the outside.

 **E/N:** And that's part one. I really recommend reading **Pokémon: Darkness and Dreams** before this. Lots of kudos and credit to **BatmanRules256** for creating such an awesome story, and for letting me add to it. This story was only possible with his input, too.


	2. Part 2

**A/N:** Thanks for coming back. I hope you enjoyed part one, and that you'll enjoy part two. Don't forget to check out **Pokémon: Darkness and Dreams** by **BatmanRules256**. It's a great story.

Pokémon: Darkness and Dreams: Umbre Part 2

Umbre awoke with a groan, sitting up in her bed as she rubbed her eyes. She automatically reached over to the other side of the bed – and found it empty. Snapping awake completely, she closed her eyes and listened. She also sniffed the air, but there was . . . . nothing. _She's still gone_ , the Umbreon thought, her ears drooping. _It's been a few months now, and . . . nothing._ Umbre Dharc was more than worried about her missing companion, but the absolute terror brought on by the thought of stepping outside the library let her rooted inside the alternate dimension. With a heavy sigh, Umbre slipped out of the bed and made her stumbling, half-naked way to the bathroom for a shower. She hated having that dream, hated having her bad memories played out like that.

When she was done, she didn't bother dressing in more than she'd slept in before going out into the kitchen for a lonely breakfast. _At least today I feel up to more than just toast and marmalade_ , Umbre thought as she sat down to eat. She froze, though, with her fork halfway to her mouth as she caught sight of the plate across from her. She hadn't realized she had subconsciously made two plates of food. Again. Her appetite now gone, she set her fork down before moving all of the prepared food into storage containers and then tending to the dishes. With that out of the way, Umbre went to do as she had done for the last ten years (as she had been counting time, anyway; she had no idea how much time had passed outside the pocket of space-time she lived in): going through a section of the library to see if everything had been filed correctly, and to check to see if anything needed to be restored.

But such things were simply a distraction, nothing more, and Umbre knew it. But she really didn't know what else to do. She couldn't leave the library – she knew that, academically, she _could_ , but her shyness and almost-crippling social anxiety prevented her – so she didn't have any other ways to occupy her time. Not without Kossumoggu around her. Umbre was also afraid to leave for another reason: Arceus, the legendary that had been attempting to gain entry into the library since she was a baby. The Dark type was utterly terrified of the woman, a state that had solidified on the day of her parents' funeral (which had also been the end of the life Kossu had known). Coming out of her thoughts, Umbre found herself browsing through a book on poetry and fairy tales that her friend (girlfriend/lover/whatever-they-were) often perused. Her breath hitched as she tried to choke back the sobs that were coming. Kossumoggu was the only person, other than her late parents and the younger girl's family, that she had an emotional connection to. One of the few people who had truly accepted the real her, even before her body and soul had found harmony. That hadn't been an easy accomplishment, had been nearly impossible, and it had come very close to killing her.

But Kossu had been there for her. The Psychic type had been unceasing in her efforts to draw the Dark type out of her unwillingly imposed shell. If it hadn't been for her, Umbre knew she probably would've become a recluse with an incurable inability to relate to others. _Come to think of it_ , she thought wryly, _I_ have _become a recluse, but I only have a_ little _trouble relating to others._ As she continued tending the section she'd been working on, Umbre came across a book that was _definitely not_ in the right section. The cover was the wrong material for one, and the color indicated it belonged in the recreational section. Umbre sighed. "Oh, Kossu," she grumbled good-naturedly. Pulling the book out, it only took her a second of seeing the cover before she was blushing furiously. 'Poké Sutra for the Advanced: Couples Edition for Women' was what was on the cover, and was more or less what was within the pages; Umbre knew, though, that was essentially a sensual exercise manual for use in 'private' situations. The blush faded for the most part, though, as thinking about the book's contents brought to mind, not all of the intimate moments they had shared, but their very first time and the events that led up to it…..

Six Years Ago

"Heya, Umbi!" came a shout from right beside her. With a shriek that could've been a sonic attack, Umbre shot into the air from where she was sitting. She came down with a thud, followed by a moan. "Damn it, Kossu," she groaned. "How many times have I told you to NOT teleport next to me and shout?"

"Today, or overall?" the Psychic type asked, prompting a groan from the older girl and a giggle from herself.

"What do you want this time?" Umbre inquired as she sat up while rubbing the back of her head.

"I…I, um, uh, heheh," Kossu stammered, immediately drawing her friend's full attention.

"What is it, Kos? If you…..well, ruined another book because you were reading while eating again, it's okay. I can fix it," she reassured her.

"I-It's n-not that," Kossumoggu replied, looking down at her feet and clasping her hands shyly in front of her. The seventeen-year-old looked at her in confusion, making the younger girl sigh in confusion when she glanced up after a too long silence. "Umbre, I…I like you, okay?"

"I like you, too, Kossu." It was obvious that the Umbreon still didn't get it.

"You don't get it," Kos replied, tears starting to gather in her eyes. "I find you attractive, as in 'I want to be with you like a couple' attractive. Like….like how your mom and dad were." Umbre didn't speak, too shocked for words, so Kossu continued. "I guess I always did, from that first time I saw you. We were both too young back then for me to know what I was feeling, but now I do. I know it's hard for you to relate to people emotionally because of how everyone else treated you, but I-"

Kossu found herself interrupted, and her eyes widened in shock the instant she realized how she had been interrupted: Umbre had grasped her face in both hands and pulled into a clumsy, yet emotionally-charged kiss. It seemed as though time stood still for the two of them, an eternity passing in the space of a few heartbeats. Finally, after what seemed like forever but really was only a few seconds, Umbre broke off the kiss and pulled back. Kossu blinked her eyes open, her eyes locking onto those of her best friend. The two of them stared into each other's eyes, their gazes seeming to pierce right into their souls.

"So…" Kossu started off.

"That was a thing," Umbre finished. The two of them wore matching blushes, though Umbre was more dazed than Kossu. After all, she really hadn't had much practice in expressing herself, and was definitely clueless when it came to romance. As she looked into her best friend's eyes, she resolved to study more on the subject. "So, um, what does this make us now?" the Dark type asked.

"It makes us…us," Kossu replied. "We don't need a label."

Two Weeks After 'The Kiss'

Kossu had frequently come across Umbre in various parts of the library, reading book after scroll after tablet. It didn't take the Psychic type long to figure out that her special someone was reading up on love and romance and relationships. Rather than bothering or irritating her, Umbre's activities only deepened Kos's feelings for her. Seeking knowledge was simply part of who Umbre Dharc was. She decided, though, that two weeks was long enough and put a plan into motion. It wasn't hard, really, to keep the Umbreon occupied; her 'studies' did that well enough (though Kos could not figure out how an action-packed, intimacy-filled series called PokéNinjas of Love was a 'study in romance').

So Umbre was definitely surprised when she found a beautiful black gown with a blue hem on her bed, along with a pair of low wedge-heeled shoes that were black with blue accents. On them was a note:

#Put these on. No arguments. We're having a date night.

~Kossu#

With a shrug, Umbre slipped out of the clothes she'd been wearing and into her date clothes. After she was ready, she made her way to the dining room – where she got her breath taken away. Kossu had really gone all out; there were candles evenly spaced about the room, along with a candle-filled chandelier above the center of the table, which had a small bouquet of flowers in the middle of it. There was a small but varied spread of food on the table, but what really took Umbre's breath away was Kossu herself. The Psychic type was dressed in a knee length strapless gown that shimmered between black, midnight blue, and a deep purple.

"Kossu," she breathed, unable to say much else at the moment.

"You were taking too long, Umbi," she replied with a sheepish shrug. "I know you like learning all you can about something, but love and romance can't really be found in books. I mean, books can only tell you so much; this is something you actually need to experience to learn."

"You did all of this," Umbre said, gesturing around, "for me?"

"I, uh, kinda ran out of time to do more," Kossu answered with a giggle, making the blue-marked Umbreon's pale skin flush pink. Kos led her love interest to the table and seated her before taking her own seat. The meal was a comfortably silent affair, filled with snatched glances and much blushing. After eating, and a promise that the dishes would be tended to later, Kossu lead Umbre to a sitting room she'd cleared out into an impromptu ballroom. A small surge of psychic energy, and soft, orchestral music filled the room. With a gentle smile, Kossumoggu drew her date into a slow dance. After a while, though, Kos leaned even closer to Umbre and whispered into her ear, "Now, let's go to your room and try out chapter seven of PokéNinjas of Love book two," which caused Umbre to turn almost red from the intensity of her blush.

Present

Umbre shook her head as the memory faded from her conscious mind, a pleasant warmth filling her at its remembrance. That night had definitely been filled with things she would never forget. _It was definitely something we never told her mom about_ , Umbre thought with a chuckle, _though I'm pretty sure she knew what had happened._ Thinking of Lunala, the second friend she'd ever made, brought a different kind of pain to her soul. She and Kossu had had no idea what had happened to the legendary level Psychic type, nor her twin daughters (Kos's little sisters), until Lunala had stepped out of a special, ancient mirror on what turned out to be the second eclipse of a blue moon. Lunala had explained the events that had occurred after Kos had Teleported after Umbre. While the retelling had only cemented further Umbre's fear of Arceus, it had also given her a powerful drive to help the woman who had been like a second mother (or perhaps an aunt) to her as well as a great friend.

"I still haven't found a way to free her," Umbre muttered to herself as she subconsciously navigated the library to reshelve Kos's book. "I've found several other texts that would be useful in somewhat similar yet vastly different circumstances, but nothing directly relating to Lunala's situation. Not yet." She really felt indebted to her lover's mother, since it had been her advice ad guidance that had led Umbre to funding the ritual that had harmonized her body to her soul.

Back when she was still a child, after she'd become friends with her, Lunala had proven to be a great encouragement to her. She had helped the ostracized child open up more, and even assisted Espa (Umbre's mom) in locating lost and/or rare texts for the library that had been entrusted to the care of the Dharc bloodline. That had stopped when she'd been banished, since it was impossible to gather tomes from another dimension that she could not yet leave. That had been Umbre's main focus for nearly a decade, but she had not had any luck to date. She had discovered several other things, though, that had led to further research. She'd learned of Mega Evolution, although a good bit of the power from that was used to transform an individual to handle the power. She had also learned of another technique for unlocking power, one that was not only permanent but also continually growing. Ancient tomes referred to it as 'Break Evolution,' while the newest text she had also called it 'Inner 'Mon.'

All of her research, at least what she believed to be relevant, she was compiling into a single source to give to Lunala. Her interactions with the few people she had let into her life, as well as what she had read, had shown her that there was truly no such things as true good and true evil. After all, those who are often seen as evil by many in the world don't see themselves as villains. There are those who claim to serve the cause of good that commit acts that can be seen as unspeakable, while some who are regarded as evil can perform acts of selfless altruism. Umbre knew Lunala hadn't been pure when they'd first met, as far as the willfully ignorant saw things, and being banished certainly didn't help that any. No feeling of indebtedness nor friendship would keep Umbre helping Lunala if her heart didn't agree with it. That had been Lunala's first lesson to her; to listen the silent voice of her heart, regardless of what others say.

"I wish I could speak to her now," Umbre said quietly to herself. During her remembrance, she had subconsciously navigated herself into the room where she kept the mirror. It was an artifact that had been collected long ago by one of her ancestors, its name lost to history, as was its purpose. The records she had of it, those that mentioned it anyway, said that it had been kissed by the moon when it died. Regardless, it somehow (under specific circumstances) allowed Lunala to briefly return, though the time was never long enough…

Five and a Half Years Ago

"Hey, Umbi!" Kossu shouted after she had Teleported to her girlfriend's side. She watched in amusement, and with a little giggle, as the older girl shrieked and sprang into the air, only to drop back down onto her ass and topple to the floor.

"Must you do that EVERY time?" the raven-haired girl groaned in annoyance as she sat up. Kossu giggled and helped her lover to her feet.

"I wouldn't if you didn't make it so fun," she answered with another giggle. Her expression fell a bit, though, and Umbre knew why; she was thinking of her family again. It had been four and a half years (inside the library, anyway) since her mom and sisters had vanished after she'd followed Umbre. Kossu often went out, at least once a day, to search for signs of them but she never had any luck. And she never told her girlfriend how much time was passing in the outside world.

"Hey, don't worry, Kos," Umbre told her, drawing the younger girl into a hug. "You'll find them. I…I wish I could help."

"It's okay, Umbi," she replied. "I know why you ca-" She stopped abruptly, not finishing what she was saying.

"Kossu?" Umbre based in concern, pulling away enough to look at her lover. Her eyes had a distant, somewhat unfocused glaze to them. "What's wrong?"

"You don't sense that?" the Psychic type asked. Umbre paused a moment, and that's when she felt it. It was a surge of power, more than quite a bit of it. Without a word, Kossu Teleported them to where the source of it was… only for them to find themselves in a room with a very old-looking mirror.

One that also happened to be glowing with purple-black energy and crackling with purple-pink discharges.

"What…is it doing?" Kossu asked.

"I'll go look it up," Umbre replied, actually turning to go do that. Or, rather, she started to; a hand grasping her shirt collar put a stop to that.

"You've read enough today," was the dryly uttered response. Before anything else could be uttered, a bright pulse of light flashed from the mirror. They had only a moment to glance over at it before a much bigger pulse exploded from it and knocked them onto their asses. Groaning, the two teens rubbed their heads as they sat back up before looking towards the mirror. Or, rather, where it had been as there was now a portal or rift similar yet vastly different to the teleportation ability some Dark types had. But what really arrested their attention, and caused their jaws to drop, was the appearance of someone they hadn't seen in a few years. The person picked themself up off the floor, though they did stagger a bit. They were different than either girl remembered, yet still infinitely familiar. The person smiled at them both warmly.

"It's nice to finally see you two again after so long," she told them.

"Mom?" Kossu whispered in shock at the same time Umbre whispered, "Lunala?"

Present

The next day went pretty much the same for Umbre as it had every day since Kossu had disappeared. Or, rather, had not returned. She knew her girlfriend wouldn't willingly stay away this long, as she was firmly devoted to the idea of getting the reclusive Umbreon out of the pocket dimension. Umbre knew the other girl needed a break from her every now and then, and she didn't have a problem with it; she often suspected that she was either too emotionally damaged or stunted and had become very clingy as a result, or perhaps she was still emotionally damaged but in such a way as to give her too much love for just one person to handle. She was actually hard to anger, but was easily hurt and fragile (emotionally speaking).

She didn't know that today her current routine would be broken.

After eating and readying herself (she didn't bother putting on more than a camisole and a pair of shorts), Umbre made her way to her favorite sitting room with a novel from her favorite fiction series, PokéNinjas of Love. The series was, according to Kossu, a hit outside the library and had even gone through a relaunch as a series about a new generation of characters. This new series do have the same feel as its predecessor, but was also a new dynamic in its own right. She was just getting to the part of the novel where the antagonist finally admits to herself that she is in love with the protagonist when she heard heavy thuds behind her. Before she could do anything she heard from right by her ear, "Umbi!"

With a shriek that could almost have doubled as a sonic attack, Umbre shot into the air from her backless seat and got some good height before falling back down and landing on her back. "Ow," she deadpanned before shouting, "Damn it, Nebula Borealis Kossumoggu! I've told you to stop doing that!" Then her eyes widened as her automatic response caught up to her conscious mind. "Kossu!" she shrieked, springing to her feet and whirling around to pull her girlfriend/lover/best friend into a tight hug. Tears were running down her cheeks because of the overwhelming joy she was feeling. "I tried," she sobbed. "I tried, I tried. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Shhh," Kos said soothingly, rubbing her girlfriend's back to help calm her down. The older girl pulled back, still crying, then pulled the younger into a kiss that blew her mind and seared her soul. The kiss was interrupted when Umbre was startled by an upbeat, energetic voice saying, "How come you don't kiss _me_ like that, Darky?"

 **E/N:** Ba-ba-ba-buuuuummm! Thus ends the two-shot about Umbre Dharc. If y'all want to see more of her and Kossu, check out the next chapter of **BatmanRules256** 's story ' **Pokémon: Darkness and Dreams**!' And also keep an eye out for my own Pokémon gijinka story, using an alternate version of Umbre as well as alternate versions of Darky and Blaze (used with permission)!


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